Category: Connected Objects

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Connected Objects

Swiping with Swyp helps lighten your wallet

Walking around with a wallet filled with multiple credit, gift and store loyalty cards can be a major hassle—especially when they can barely even fit in the wallet anymore.

The company Qvivr has come up with a solution to that dilemma called Swyp (pronounced Swipe). The next-generation electronic wallet is a thin electronic device that looks, feels and works just like a conventional credit card, but the device has a chip that can store account information for up to 25 cards, eliminating the need to carry around all the extra bulk. The user can select any of the programmed cards using buttons on Swyp and a graphical image will show which card is being used at any given time. The user’s name, account number and expiration date are all displayed on the card, and the magnetic stripe on the back is programmed to transform Swyp into the chosen card.

Swyp is designed to work any place where the user can swipe a standard plastic card, and should work in any location that accepts magnetic stripe-based cards issued in the U.S. Swyp has been designed to conveniently learn from the user’s behaviors, patterns and surroundings to predict what card they will be using for the next purchase. Users can also share and exchange gift cards with other Swyp users. Swyp can also be used to electronically capture and organize receipts using an accompanying smartphone app. For security, it will lock up and stop working if the user’s smartphone is out of range. Older, similar devices include the Coin and Plastc, but those products can only store up to eight and 20 cards, respectively. Swyp is also similar to mobile wallets, but the latter only work with NFC-enabled terminals.

Consumers can buy Swyp direct from the company’s own Web site for $49 as part of an early bird special. It is expected to cost $99 at retail when it ships this fall.

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Connected Objects

‘On’ smart tape hugs all your curves for accurate measurements

Shopping online is one of the simple joys that this day and age has been able to offer so many. With one click, pretty much anything can be delivered to the doorstep within as little as a day. Where this model falls flat is the purchase of clothing, a traditionally risky online buy, since no standard exists across between all companies. This means that a small here isn’t necessarily a small there, and this leads can lead to confusion, mistakes, and orders being repackaged and sent back—all of which takes time, and generally makes the process unpleasant.

By combining their expertise in fashion and tech, XYZE Fashion has created the On digital measuring tape. With up to 160cm of circular tape, this Bluetooth connected device makes it easy for users to keep accurate body measurements in their own personal XYZE Size ID. This profile compares the saved measurements against each brand individually to suggest the best fitting garments using a proprietary algorithm and a companion app. As a result, online shoppers needn’t worry about their choices any longer and can expect garments that fit right out of the box. The €60,000 (~$68,000) campaign is looking to have the €59 (~$67) product shipped by May of this year.

On is a truly unique product that has gained lots of attention recently for its simple design and effective solution to a thorny problem. Measuring tape has always been available, but incorporating something automatic that can guide a user to spot-on measurements is invaluable, especially when considering its 3V, 48 month battery life. What remains to be seen is how many brands it can actually recognize, but chances are that fashionistas along with clothing designers will really enjoy On’s ease of use.

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Connected Objects Health and Wellness

Track bites instead of calories with the Count Bites connected wristband

Counting calories is a drag. Common methods are usually pretty cumbersome, and apps don’t help as much as it seems. Plus, who likes having to do math every time they eat?

The Count Bites band and app aim to shift the user’s focus from calories to bites instead. While no one method is inherently superior, bites are far easier to track than hundreds of daily calories. Both the Bluetooth wristband and companion app feature a single button for tracking purposes, so dieters can use it to set goals and monitor portions over time. The campaign is looking to raise $25,000 by March 3, and have the $30 band shipped out in June of this year.

Although the campaign does admit to the potential of cheating, it insists that beginning a diet by focusing on reducing the amount of food rather than micromanaging the type of food being consumed is far more beneficial for those with a BMI over 25. Instead of other fitness bands like the Jaha or Arcus that keep fit people fit, Count Bites seems like it could be a good fit for a larger swath of the population that doesn’t have the healthiest of habits.

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Connected Objects Toys

Arduino-based 3DRacer allows for 3D-printed racing

The rising popularity of electronics platforms like Raspberry Pi and Arduino, combined with the power of 3D printing, have added a new dimension to the racing toys of yesteryear.

The Arduino-based 3DRacer offers race junkies a bite-sized replica of the real thrill. Having designed their ride using the online 3DRacer tool, users can opt to print out the parts themselves, or have the company’s partner 3D Hubs print them instead. Once assembled, the pre-programmed Arduino board can be inserted to work in tandem with the companion smartphone app using a Bluetooth connection.

The included PVC mat makes any room in the home a racetrack, complete with app-controlled lap counter, pit stops, and a battle mode. Since everything is open source, more intrepid tinkerers have the option of creating an endless amount of cars, tuning the performance of each to suit their needs.

The product’s options seem unnecessarily complicated. The company would do well to simplify their offerings to appeal to a greater group of people. For youngsters, the product’s DIY nature may prove a little daunting, but it could end up being an effective stepping stone to light programming and robotics.

For $65, backers get their own customized car, and $129 throws in the track. The $25,000 campaign is slated to have the products out and shipped by September of this year.

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Chargers/Batteries Connected Objects Luggage and Bags

AMPL charging backpack provides ample energy for your contraptions

What should be portable devices are anything but when people have to lug around external batteries, charging cases, and all types of wires just to keep them filled with energy throughout the day. Modern demands require the presence of constant sources of energy, but always fighting for an outlet isn’t the most practical solution.

Instead, the AMPL Smart Backpack lets users take the power with them. The shock absorber-lined, water-resistant backpack is outfitted with three compartments for swappable, high capacity batteries that are powerful enough to charge everything from smartphones, to tablets, to 17″ laptops. The batteries feature Onovo fast charging technology to charge the batteries to 80% in an hour to avoid staying stuck to walls. Located throughout the bag is a total of six USB ports that funnel the energy, monitored and controlled by either a small, touch-capable OLED screen, or a Bluetooth-enabled companion app that lets users prioritize what gets charged first, along with keeping an eye on the internal temperature—all without opening the bag.

This is the slickest conception of a smart charging backpack so far when compared to half-baked products like the Smart Charge Power Bag. The sheer power that can be carried around, coupled with the level of control the companion app gives users, makes this a clear winner for lots of people since these devices are so common. The $125,000 campaign is looking to get the $249 backpack out to backers by September of this year.

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Connected Objects

Back to the Backers: Daisy app and sensor

What if plants could talk, and tell you exactly what they needed?

The Daisy app and its companion sensor were very recently covered by Backerjack, and detailed a horticulturally slanted, smartphone-enabled system that would alert users to the moisture, light, and temperature needs of all the greenery in their home or apartment. Unfortunately, not enough backers believed in the product, and it subsequently met a grim demise shortly after.

Now, Daisy is back with a much lower campaign goal of $5,000 versus the original’s $50,000. The product and the prices at which it was going for prior are exactly the same, so there have been no major modifications to the core idea—not that it was necessary. The sensor’s companion app does a lot of the heavy lifting by including an encyclopedia along with lots of customization options, too. A donation of $33 gets backers two Daisy sensors to be shipped in June of this year. Let’s see if it’ll have a much sunnier outcome this time around.

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Connected Objects Networking

Eero can be your hero in overcoming wireless dead zones

A frequent annoyance for Wi-Fi users is when a dead zone prevents them from accessing the Internet in certain locations of their homes. Another annoyance is having to reset a router when it mysteriously stops working.

Eero has been designed to blanket a user’s entire home with fast, reliable Wi-Fi in order to eliminate dead zones and all the other frequent wireless issues that Internet users typically experience. The device looks like a basic router and plugs into an existing cable or DSL modem. Users then just download an Android or iOS app and it will instantly recognize Eero and prompt users to create their own network name and password. Additional Eeros need power from a standard wall outlet and get placed around the home with the help of the app.

A typical apartment will need two Eeros, while an average house will need three and a larger house will require four to work at maximum effectiveness. The Eeros work together to form a mesh network. Unlike traditional routers and extenders that only allow for data to make a single hop, Eero allows for multiple hops with minimal signal loss. Consumers can connect up to 10 Eeros. One unit will cost $199 and its maker will bundle three at the discounted price of $499 when it ships this summer.

Eero holds a lot of promise, as long as it works as effectively as its maker claims. The Splitter is a rival device that attempts to resolve wireless dead zones, but Eero is a far more advanced system.

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Connected Objects Health and Wellness

Sophia puts the humble jump rope through a 21st century makeover & name change

Over the ages, skipping rope has continually proven to benefit the body in a myriad of ways. From working out and toning a variety of muscle groups to improving balance, it’s surprising how such a simple idea can do so much.

Like any simple idea nowadays, smartening it up with some connectivity instantly makes it applicable in a whole new way—something the Bluetooth LE-enabled Sophia jump rope proves. The halves of the leather-gripped handles lock together and come apart when needed, incorporating an OLED display when in use to keep users informed on the number of jumps performed without having to stay stuck to their smartphone. Its tough polymer cord and sweat resistant design makes sure it stands up to the most demanding of users.

Sophia’s companion app for iOS and Android communicates with HealthKit and GoogleFit to integrate relevant information into a user’s overall workout regimen. In addition, users can track jump records, go through Sophia’s arcade mode, and challenge others as well. All this functionality is accessible for up to 15 hours on a single charge. Sophia will cost €39 (~$45) and is expected in May of this year. The campaign is looking to skip its way to a successful €28,500 (~$32,300) campaign.

Other connected devices, like the STABALLIZER, Loop, and Glyder, have recently sprung up as examples of unions between the tech and exercise worlds, but none have been as elegant as Sophia. Its affordable price will surely attract not only exercise nuts but everyone else as well, positioning it well as a new device.

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Connected Objects

DISPLIO E Ink display offloads device notifications to a tiny box

editors-choiceThere’s a subtle dance between the devices in the lives of so many and the users who own them. The former aggressively leads, throwing out an endless stream of information to the latter who, for the most part, has to keep up with the many flashes, pop-up notifications, and rumbles throughout the day.

Users could customize the notifications to their liking but that can come at the expense of being less informed, or they can opt to use DISPLIO. The product is a tiny Wi-Fi enabled, E Ink display designed to serve as a point where devices can offload specific, contextual information based on where it’s placed. So at home, DISPLIO can display weather or cooking recipes. At work, the number of Facebook likes can be tracked alongside revenue for that quarter, along with a built-in speaker to catch a user’s attention for very important updates.

Different widgets can be reloaded or switched out using tap, shake, and rotate gestures, while new widgets can be designed using the combination of DISPLIO’s open API, library of various language support, and a design editor to make it all look pretty. A DISPLIO with a choice of multiple colors can be had for $99. The $65,000 campaign is looking to ship the product in June 2015.

E Ink displays are coming into their own, evident in the steady stream of products similar to DISPLIO, like the Vikaura, both of which are strikingly similar. The latter comes in different sizes and supports Bluetooth LE, making it slight more practical. DISPLIO’s small size, though, makes it a nice companion around the home or office.

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Connected Objects

Luna smart bed cover covers all the bases to provide good night’s sleep

Objects all around keep getting smarter and smarter. But the bed, one of the most important things that people use every day and a key part of our health, isn’t getting any smarter.

The San Francisco-based makers of the Luna smart mattress cover are out to change that. Luna is able to manage the user’s bed temperature and tracks sleep habits using multiple hidden sensors, including an ambient light sensor and temperature humidity sensor. The thin cover can also be integrated with the user’s other smart home devices to turn off lights, lock doors, change the thermostat, or make sure coffee is brewed when the user needs it each morning. Luna’s dual zone technology provides the option for users and their partners to select different temperatures for each side of the bed.

Luna works with any kind of mattress, its maker claims. Backers who pledge $199 for a queen or full size cover, $219 for a king size cover, or $229 for a California king size cover when it ships in August. The $100,000 Indiegogo goal has been set to pay for product validation testing and tooling to manufacture enclosures.

The product holds great promise, going a few steps further than the ThinkPillow smart pillow and Beddit sleep and wellness tracker that are both more reliant on their apps than Luna is. An iPhone or Android smartphone is required only the first time the user installs Luna. Consumers who are sleep-challenged will find it especially valuable.